My first book of baby animals by Mike Unwin

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Ill. by Daniel Howarth. Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408194645.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Animals. Baby animals. Within a question and answer format on each double page, this book shows many animals and their offspring. The first few pages give information about animals growing up, and how many babies some of the animals have, from an orangutan having just one baby at a time, to a turtle which lays more than one hundred eggs at a time, followed by an introductory 'Who is it?' which is replicated on every right hand page after that. After that the format begins, with the left hand side of the double page showing an animal and its baby, with some information and the right hand side page asking the question, 'Who is it?'
From tigers to giraffes, to polar cubs to puppies and kittens, the layout will draw in the reader wanting to know more about these familiar and not so familiar animals.
On the second to last page is a glossary of words, followed by a neat index, giving a picture of the baby animal, in alphabetical order with a reference page number.
Northern hemisphere it might be, but most of the animals are known and seen by children in the south, if not on television, then in zoos, and presented in this way, gives an easy introduction not only to that animals, and its offspring, but uses the correct terminology and introduces using a contents page, glossary and index.
Fran Knight

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